Bedazzled | ✓

Chapter 5

Aquas watched from behind the rock as the new merman aimed poisoned arrows at the fishes swimming by.

"Not bad," Yanus, Aquas' brother said as he pat the shoulder of the merman in praise. The merman surprisingly stumbled forward from the force. Yanus laughed at him, retrieving an arrowhead from his waist bag. "Grow some scales, you're easily taken by surprise."

The merman nodded, taking the new arrowhead from Yanus before attaching it to the arrow he retrieved from the belt he had around his waist.

"You said your name is Jeffery?" Yanus asked, striking a conversation with the merman who was now aiming his arrow at a slowly moving fish.

"Yes," the merman replied, releasing the arrow. It flew across the water, missing the unsuspecting creature by a few inches. The surprised thing seemed taken aback before swimming away hurriedly.

"Hmm..." Yanus trailed, stroking his near skin short beard. "I haven't heard that name before."

The merman just smiled at Yanus' words, silently refusing to offer an explanation. Yanus and the merman stayed like that for a while, hunting indefinitely as they made casual discussion. They'd become rather close since the council had paired Jeffery with Yanus to learn to gather.

Aquas sighed. His tail was starting to go to sleep from staying in one position for too long. He wasn't even sure why he was watching them. The new merman just seemed oddly familiar.

Like my human.

He thought, biting the inside of his cheek. Of course, he knew there was no way his human could now be a merman that was just a swim in front of him, but the merman looked like him with his blonde hair and slim body build. The longing to be in close proximity with the new merman was pounding in his chest, the idea young and raw.

"What was that?" Yanus asked all of a sudden when the rock beside Aquas shifted and rolled a few meters away from him on the sea floor. The tiny fish that had been hiding beneath is scattered with the cloud of moss and sand.

Aquas paled when he was met with curious gazes from Yanus and the new merman. He swam to a standing position, picking at his slightly webbed fingers in nervousness.

"Oh, it's just my brother. Did you want to see me Aquas?" Yanus asked, putting aside his bow. Jeffery was giving Aquas a fixed gaze. It was as if his whole heart has stopped at the sight of the merman. He'd kept his eyes peeled throughout his stay here and was greatly surprised at the fact that he was just seeing him.

"No," Aquas admitted, not being the one to lie.

"I had a feeling I'd seen him before," Aquas explained as he noticed towards Jeffery with his head.

"It's very likely. You wonder beyond the cove often." Yanus pointed out, making Aquas give him a small nod. He didn't seem sure about that, but was happy to go with his older brother's suggestion. He'd never told Yanus about the human, and he wasn't sure he wanted to explain that now.

"Where are my manners? Aquas this is Jeffery and Jeffery this is Aquas," Yanus introduced them as gestured to the both of them. Aquas gave Jeffery a small smile, muttering a small greeting afterward.

"If you haven't heard, Jeffery here lost his memory so we don't want to bombard him with questions, now do we?" Yanus said, noticing his brother's mouth move. Yanus knew his brother was still as curious and full of questions like a small child. It was what made his appealing.

Aquas shut his mouth before puffing out his cheeks like merpeople did when they fudged being upset.

Jeffery just thought he looked undeniably adorable.